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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. present — there
  4. fine — all right
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pop — soda
  8. fine — high quality
  9. present — a gift
  10. pop — to visit
  11. board — to get on
  12. present — the time now
  13. pop — music
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee

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