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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 · kick · bear · prune · bore · bass · deal · nail

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cue — for pool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bore — to drill
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. deal — to handle
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bore — to tire

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