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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rule — government
  7. present — the time now
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mine — for digging
  16. game — wild animals
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rule — a law
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. game — a match
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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