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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. tube — a container
  5. hand — help
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rest — a break
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cue — for pool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. prune — to trim
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cue — a hint
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rest — what's left
  24. drill — army training

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