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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cue — a signal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pit — a hole
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. row — a line
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cue — for pool
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rock — music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fan — a supporter

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