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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cue — a hint
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cue — for pool
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. last — final
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pop — to visit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. last — finally
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — to go on
  14. pop — soda
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cue — a signal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. nail — on a finger

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