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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. branch — a division
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pop — soda
  7. mug — a cup
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pop — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mug — a face
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bark — to shout
  24. prune — to trim

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