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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
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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: chair · swing · mug · prune · pitcher · leaves · court · club

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. court — of a king
  4. club — a group
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. swing — music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mug — a cup
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mug — to rob
  17. court — of law
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mug — a face
  24. club — for golf

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