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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bat — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — for money
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. key — in music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lean — thin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cue — a signal
  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