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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pop — soda
  5. bound — tied together
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — certain
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pop — music
  16. board — a committee
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pop — to visit
  22. squash — to crush
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — to get on

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