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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. can — a tin
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bass — low music
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ground — a position
  14. can — to be able to
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — magic
  24. can — a tin

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