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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 116 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cue — a signal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. scale — size or range
  5. kick — in football
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bass — low music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tear — to rip
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pass — a permit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — from crying
  20. scale — in music
  21. cue — a hint
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. tear — from crying

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