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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. scale — in music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cold — not warm
  7. board — a committee
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. board — to get on
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wound — an injury
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — size or range
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bulb — for light
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. prune — to trim

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