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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — a division
  7. prune — to trim
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. net — after costs
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cue — a hint
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. net — for catching
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mark — to pay attention

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