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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. deal — to handle
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fine — all right
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — a grade

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