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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. spring — a coil
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pop — music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. present — the time now
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spring — the season
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. spring — of water
  13. present — there
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cap — of ice
  16. present — a gift
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. branch — a division
  20. pop — soda
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pop — to visit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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