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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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. rest — what's left
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hand — help
  12. cap — a lid
  13. hand — in cards
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mine — for digging
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rest — a break
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mine — belonging to me

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