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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. club — for dancing
  4. content — the amount
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. club — for golf
  15. fine — all right
  16. prune — to trim
  17. content — happy
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. club — a group
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. prune — the fruit

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