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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · court · key · prune · ball · straw · saw · trunk

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. ball — a dance
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pass — a permit
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. court — of a king
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. court — of law
  17. key — in music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. saw — the tool
  20. court — for sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com