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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. suit — to fit
  10. scale — in music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. swing — to play on
  13. scale — size or range
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pop — to visit
  16. swing — music
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fine — all right
  21. game — a match
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pop — soda
  24. game — wild animals

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