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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cue — a signal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. track — a path
  14. squash — the sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cue — a hint
  20. track — a song
  21. squash — to crush
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. track — to keep track

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