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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — there
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pass — a permit
  15. present — a gift
  16. bark — to shout
  17. present — the time now
  18. prune — to trim
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pop — music
  22. sharp — clever
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pop — soda

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