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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fork — in a road
  3. last — finally
  4. can — a tin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bank — for money
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — of a river
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — final
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. last — to go on
  22. bank — for money
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pitch — completely

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