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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: court · cue · net · stand · object · prune · chip · sharp

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. net — for catching
  3. court — for sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. court — of a king
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. prune — to trim
  11. court — of law
  12. net — in sport
  13. chip — to eat
  14. sharp — clever
  15. object — an aim
  16. net — after costs
  17. object — a thing
  18. cue — a hint
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. object — to protest

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