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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hand — help
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rock — music
  8. bass — low music
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rock — a stone
  11. land — ground
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. land — to come down
  22. rush — hurry
  23. land — a country
  24. pitcher — a jug

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