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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. last — to go on
  9. board — a committee
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. current — electric
  12. pit — in a race
  13. board — to get on
  14. current — of water
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — in golf
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pit — a hole
  24. current — happening now

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