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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fine — high quality
  8. squash — to crush
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. squash — the sport
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mug — a face
  13. dip — to sink
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fine — all right
  18. spring — of water
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — a penalty

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