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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. spell — letters
  4. drill — a practice
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. staff — a stick
  7. drill — army training
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. drill — the tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pop — music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. spell — magic
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. spell — a short time
  23. staff — employees
  24. prune — the fruit

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