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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: wind · can · cue · mate · band · pitcher · prune · rock

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wind — moving air
  5. can — a tin
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. band — a music group
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mate — a partner
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. can — to be able to
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. band — a ring
  20. mate — a friend
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rock — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cue — for pool

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