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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. spring — the season
  5. current — electric
  6. spring — of water
  7. spell — a short time
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — of water
  10. date — the fruit
  11. spell — magic
  12. ball — a dance
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wax — to grow
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. present — there
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spell — letters
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wax — in the ear

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