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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. board — to get on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. board — a committee
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wake — a trail
  15. snap — to click
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pit — in a race
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cue — for pool
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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