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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: roll · trunk · fan · prune · dip · court · squash · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. prune — to trim
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. court — for sport
  14. club — a group
  15. dip — to sink
  16. prune — to trim
  17. squash — to crush
  18. court — of law
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. club — for golf
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. court — of a king

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