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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. spell — magic
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. object — an aim
  8. cue — a signal
  9. spell — letters
  10. cue — for pool
  11. object — a thing
  12. board — to get on
  13. spell — a short time
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. object — to protest
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. board — a committee
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wake — a trail
  21. deal — to handle
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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