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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mine — for digging
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ground — a position
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. club — a group
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ground — the earth
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ground — crushed
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. prune — to trim

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