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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bass — the fish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bass — low music
  22. rash — a series
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rash — hasty

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