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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — for pool
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bass — low music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. sharp — clever
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — a trainer

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