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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: prune · leaves · deal · net · cue · ground · nail · mug

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mug — a face
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — for catching
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cue — a hint
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cue — a signal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ground — a position

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