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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. clip — to cut
  5. cue — for pool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ground — a position
  8. rock — a stone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rock — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cue — a hint
  14. clip — for paper
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — a tin
  17. cue — a signal
  18. can — a tin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ground — the earth
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. clip — a video

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