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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 124 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 the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bark — to shout
  4. suit — to fit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. suit — clothes
  8. prune — to trim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — low music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mug — a face
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mug — a cup
  18. prune — to trim
  19. suit — in cards
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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