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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. prune — to trim
  7. scale — in music
  8. current — of water
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spring — a coil
  11. scale — size or range
  12. deal — to handle
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. suit — in cards
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. current — happening now

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