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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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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: cue · bass · prune · pass · rush · spring · firm · cell

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. prune — to trim
  7. firm — a company
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bass — the fish
  12. firm — decided
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bass — low music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cue — for pool
  18. firm — steady
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cell — a phone
  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