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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: perch · bass · prune · chip · cue · dip · pound · wake

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cue — a hint
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chip — to eat
  13. prune — to trim
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cue — a signal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pound — a weight
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chip — for betting

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