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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. suit — in cards
  3. prune — to trim
  4. last — finally
  5. object — an aim
  6. last — final
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — certain
  9. last — to go on
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bound — tied together
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pop — to visit
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. object — to protest
  17. pop — music
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bound — obliged
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. object — a thing
  24. mouse — the animal

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