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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. stock — goods
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cue — a hint
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stock — shares
  16. cue — for pool
  17. swing — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cue — a signal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. board — to get on

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