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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: prune · deal · can · wake · date · chest · rest · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rest — a break
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. prune — to trim
  7. date — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wake — a trail
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pop — soda
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chest — a box
  23. deal — to handle
  24. date — on the calendar

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