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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. prune — to trim
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — for pool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — in sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bank — for money
  14. rock — music
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. bank — for money
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bank — of a river

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