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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. prune — to trim
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. prune — to trim
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — a hint
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pop — soda
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pop — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — a signal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. prune — the fruit

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