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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cue — a signal
  5. net — in sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wax — to grow
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fork — in a road
  13. net — after costs
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. scale — in music
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cue — a hint
  23. net — for catching
  24. snap — to click

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