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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. object — to protest
  4. season — of the year
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — a thing
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pit — in a race
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. pit — a hole
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cue — a hint
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tube — a container
  23. object — an aim
  24. calf — of the leg

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