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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 120 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: present · mine · mouse · pit · prune · spring · court · staff

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pit — a hole
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spring — the season
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. present — there
  7. staff — employees
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. staff — employees
  10. spring — a coil
  11. present — a gift
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spring — of water
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. court — of law
  16. pit — in a race
  17. staff — a stick
  18. court — of a king
  19. prune — to trim
  20. court — for sport
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. present — the time now

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