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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. spell — letters
  3. cue — a signal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. club — for golf
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. club — a group
  13. fork — in a road
  14. branch — a division
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. spell — magic

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