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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: tear · racket · cue · rock · cap · prune · current · bass

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rock — music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rock — a stone
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cue — a signal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cue — a hint
  19. prune — to trim
  20. tear — to rip
  21. cap — a lid
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bass — low music
  24. current — of water

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