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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 116 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: pitcher · pop · straw · ball · cue · wave · charge · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. charge — a price
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. charge — in control
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pop — soda
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pop — to visit
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pop — music

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