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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. track — a song
  8. object — to protest
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pop — music
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. track — a path
  16. object — an aim
  17. pop — soda
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lean — thin
  21. pop — to visit
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cue — for pool

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