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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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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. track — a path
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. branch — a division
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pitcher — a jug

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