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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: racket · wake · pop · prune · temple · fan · saw · cue

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — a signal
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — music
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pop — soda
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. prune — to trim
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wake — a trail
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. prune — to trim
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. racket — for tennis

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