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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 · last · racket · nail · cue · pop · row · wake

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pop — soda
  5. last — to go on
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. last — final
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pop — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. row — a line
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pop — to visit
  23. last — finally
  24. cue — a signal

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