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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · present · clip · prune · pop · tear · fine · cue

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pop — to visit
  3. present — the time now
  4. prune — to trim
  5. present — a gift
  6. cue — for pool
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pop — soda
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. clip — for paper
  14. cue — a hint
  15. squash — to crush
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cue — a signal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pop — music
  23. present — there
  24. squash — the sport

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