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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pop — soda
  9. staff — employees
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cell — in biology
  16. staff — employees
  17. pop — to visit
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pop — music

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