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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: tube · coach · leaves · prune · bank · mine · arm · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. court — for sport
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — a container
  10. mine — for digging
  11. court — of a king
  12. bank — for money
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tube — the underground
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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