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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.

Make a worksheet

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: court · pitcher · lash · key · fall · ball · prune · trunk

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. court — for sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fall — the season
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fall — to drop
  13. court — of a king
  14. ball — a dance
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. court — of law
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. key — in music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fall — to drop
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. key — for a lock

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