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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. rush — hurry
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pitch — completely
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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