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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: game · cue · bore · prune · snap · calf · mate · pound

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pound — a weight
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bore — to tire
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. game — a match
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  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