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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: rock · prune · board · hide · land · sharp · pitcher · cue

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. prune — to trim
  5. land — to come down
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. land — a country
  9. rock — music
  10. cue — a hint
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. sharp — clever
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. prune — to trim
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. board — a committee
  19. land — ground
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. board — to get on

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