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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. jam — to spread on bread
  2. drill — army training
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bass — the fish
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mate — a partner
  11. drill — the tool
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bass — low music
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mate — to breed
  18. drill — a practice
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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