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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rash — hasty
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cue — a signal
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rash — a series
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ball — a great time
  16. deal — to handle
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. firm — a company
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. drill — army training

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