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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. object — a thing
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — thin
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cue — a hint
  21. object — an aim
  22. bound — certain
  23. object — to protest
  24. bass — low music

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