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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · chair · present · content · cue · prune

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. prune — to trim
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. prune — to trim
  9. present — the time now
  10. cue — a signal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cue — for pool
  14. content — happy
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. present — a gift
  18. cue — a hint

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