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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cue — for pool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. firm — a company
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. land — to come down
  11. firm — steady
  12. snap — to click
  13. firm — decided
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. land — ground
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. land — a country
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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