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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. row — to paddle
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. prune — to trim
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. swing — music
  12. fine — all right
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cold — not warm
  15. row — a line
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mark — a trace
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fine — high quality
  23. scale — in music
  24. mark — a grade

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