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

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. spring — the season
  4. pop — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — of water
  9. pop — soda
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pop — to visit
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spring — a coil

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