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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. wound — an injury
  5. current — happening now
  6. net — for catching
  7. roll — a list
  8. current — of water
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. roll — a cake
  12. net — after costs
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. charge — a price
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — in music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. current — electric
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bear — to put up with

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