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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: cue · prune · bay · mark · bat · deal · sharp · current

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. current — of water
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. current — happening now
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. current — electric
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. sharp — clever
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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