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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. foot — a measure
  4. prune — to trim
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. spell — letters
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. bass — low music
  13. current — of water
  14. season — of the year
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bass — the fish
  18. spell — a short time
  19. present — there
  20. season — in sport
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. spell — magic
  23. present — a gift
  24. bass — the instrument

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