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

Word bank: racket · deal · wake · content · club · cue · coach · prune

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wake — a trail
  5. prune — to trim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cue — a hint
  9. club — a group
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cue — for pool
  13. deal — to handle
  14. club — for golf
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. content — the amount
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cue — a signal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. prune — the fruit

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