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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bass — low music
  5. net — after costs
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rule — a law
  9. net — in sport
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rule — government
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. firm — steady
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. net — for catching
  20. firm — decided
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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