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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.

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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bore — to tire
  5. prune — to trim
  6. net — after costs
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. net — in sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. net — for catching
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bark — to shout
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rest — a break
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pitch — completely
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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