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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 120 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: bass · prune · cue · dip · straw · rush · bark · chair

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. dip — to sink
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bass — the fish
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bass — low music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cue — a hint
  24. straw — a straw man

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