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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. swing — music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. swing — to play on
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bear — the animal
  9. race — the arms race
  10. game — a match
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. staff — employees
  13. race — a contest
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. swing — in golf
  16. prune — to trim
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. game — wild animals
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. deal — to handle
  23. staff — employees
  24. prune — to trim

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