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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: mark · net · cap · foot · bat · cue · prune · squash

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cap — a hat
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mark — a trace
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. foot — a measure
  15. prune — to trim
  16. net — for catching
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. net — after costs
  21. cap — of ice
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. net — in sport
  24. bat — in an idiom

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