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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cue — for pool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — low music
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. last — to go on
  8. pop — music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cue — a signal
  20. last — finally
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. last — final
  24. wound — an injury

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