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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. prune — to trim
  3. club — for golf
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — an aim
  9. mark — a trace
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. object — to protest
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mark — a grade
  22. object — a thing
  23. wax — to grow
  24. club — a group

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