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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: rule · prune · roll · court · sharp · calf · cue · key

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. court — of a king
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cue — a signal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. key — the most important part
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. cue — a hint
  13. court — for sport
  14. key — in music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cue — for pool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rule — government
  19. court — of law
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. calf — a young animal

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