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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.

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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: firm · cue · court · bear · cell · bowl · prune · nail

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. firm — steady
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. court — for sport
  12. cue — a hint
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. firm — decided
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. court — of a king
  21. prune — to trim
  22. firm — a company
  23. cue — a signal
  24. court — of law

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