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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: pop · rush · season · prune · firm · mug · field · rock

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pop — soda
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rock — a stone
  10. season — of the year
  11. firm — steady
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. firm — a company
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rock — music
  20. season — in sport
  21. mug — a cup
  22. field — farmland
  23. mug — a face
  24. firm — decided

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