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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cue — a signal
  4. march — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cue — for pool
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. march — the month
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. staff — employees
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. scale — size or range
  14. squash — the sport
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. squash — to crush
  18. club — a group
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cue — a hint
  24. staff — employees

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