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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 120 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: pop · mark · can · prune · pass · fan · cell · swing

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pop — music
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — a tin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pop — soda
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pop — to visit
  21. swing — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pass — a permit

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