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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. track — a path
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. roll — a cake
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — help
  22. roll — a list
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. jam — in traffic

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