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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. pound — a weight
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. prune — to trim
  9. club — for golf
  10. spring — a coil
  11. prune — to trim
  12. club — a group
  13. pitch — completely
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — for dogs

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