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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: mate · pitch · fine · prune · current · spring · cue · rock

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. spring — a coil
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mate — to breed
  10. current — electric
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cue — for pool
  15. current — of water
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cue — a hint

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