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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cue — a signal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. object — an aim
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. object — a thing
  15. dip — to sink
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. kid — child
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. can — a tin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. kid — to tease

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