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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: cue · prune · pitcher · fine · hand · firm · present · lean

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cue — a signal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fine — all right
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lean — thin
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. firm — a company
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — to trim
  19. present — there
  20. firm — decided
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. fine — a penalty

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