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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: prune · cue · pass · file · stick · spell · board · band

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. file — a document
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cue — for pool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spell — magic
  13. band — a ring
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. spell — letters
  22. pass — a permit
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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