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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 124 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. board — to get on
  3. cue — a hint
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. clip — a video
  6. swing — music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. clip — for paper
  9. roll — a list
  10. swing — in golf
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. swing — to play on
  13. clip — to cut
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — to come from
  17. board — a committee
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. roll — a cake

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