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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: prune · rest · calf · cue · bat · staff · pound · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pound — a weight
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cue — for pool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — high quality
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. staff — employees
  16. rest — a break
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fine — all right
  23. staff — a stick
  24. calf — a young animal

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