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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. capital — money
  8. pound — a weight
  9. snap — to click
  10. current — of water
  11. prune — to trim
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. current — electric
  16. foot — a measure
  17. prune — to trim
  18. current — happening now
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pound — to hit hard

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