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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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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 · hide · firm · club · file · object · cue · craft

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. firm — steady
  3. object — a thing
  4. firm — a company
  5. file — a document
  6. object — an aim
  7. cue — for pool
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. club — a group
  12. prune — to trim
  13. club — for golf
  14. object — to protest
  15. firm — decided
  16. craft — boats
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. file — a line of people
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — a skill
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. file — a tool
  24. prune — the fruit

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