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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: pass · cue · pit · fan · lie · prune · present · capital

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. capital — a city
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cue — a hint
  9. present — a gift
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. present — the time now
  19. cue — for pool
  20. present — there
  21. capital — money
  22. prune — to trim
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lie — an untruth

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