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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pit — a hole
  10. root — the cause
  11. pass — a permit
  12. swing — in golf
  13. root — of a word
  14. band — a ring
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. shower — rain
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. cue — for pool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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