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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 116 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: can · bass · cue · pop · court · plane · prune · last

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pop — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. bass — low music
  5. last — final
  6. prune — to trim
  7. court — for sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. last — to go on
  10. can — a tin
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. last — finally
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pop — soda
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pop — to visit
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cue — a hint

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