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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: cold · deal · mark · mug · temple · perch · prune · cue

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cue — for pool
  6. perch — the fish
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mark — a grade
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mug — to rob
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mug — a face
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — a trace

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