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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitch — completely
  6. tube — the underground
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. drill — army training
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cue — a hint
  21. drill — the tool
  22. game — a match
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cue — a signal

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