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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: rock · prune · wind · mug · court · mouse · cap · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mug — to rob
  5. court — of law
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cap — a hat
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. court — of a king
  19. prune — to trim
  20. court — for sport
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mug — a face

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