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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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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: stick · prune · squash · suit · land · toast · court · bay

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. suit — in cards
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. squash — the sport
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. land — to come down
  13. court — of law
  14. land — ground
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. squash — to crush
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. toast — bread
  20. land — a country
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. prune — to trim

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