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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. current — happening now
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ground — the earth
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. current — electric
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. season — in sport
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. current — of water
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — of the year
  20. ground — a position
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. club — for golf
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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