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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mug — a face
  5. ball — a dance
  6. net — in sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. net — for catching
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mug — a cup
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cue — a signal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. net — after costs
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. ball — a great time

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