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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · rock · prune · degree · patient · cue · squash · suit

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cue — a hint
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. suit — in cards
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rock — music
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. present — there
  11. degree — an amount
  12. present — the time now
  13. rock — a stone
  14. suit — to fit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. squash — to crush
  17. suit — clothes
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cue — a signal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. present — a gift
  23. prune — to trim
  24. patient — a sick person

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