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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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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: fork · prune · chest · band · rush · cue · bay · deal

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chest — a box
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cue — for pool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. band — a music group
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. band — a ring
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. prune — to trim
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. prune — to trim

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