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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. firm — steady
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. firm — decided
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cue — a hint
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — the most important part
  12. prune — to trim
  13. key — in music
  14. firm — a company
  15. pass — a permit
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pass — to succeed

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