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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 equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rest — a break
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. date — the fruit
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bulb — for light
  16. prune — to trim
  17. branch — a division
  18. pop — to visit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kick — in football

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