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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. spring — of water
  6. chip — to eat
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cell — a phone
  9. suit — in cards
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spring — the season
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fine — all right
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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