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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. shower — to wash
  4. can — to be able to
  5. shower — rain
  6. swing — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. cue — a hint
  9. net — for catching
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cue — for pool
  12. swing — in golf
  13. can — a tin
  14. net — in sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. net — after costs
  18. cue — a signal
  19. season — of the year
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. season — in sport
  23. swing — to play on
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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