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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pop — soda
  4. prune — to trim
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. current — of water
  13. object — a thing
  14. current — electric
  15. pop — to visit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. object — an aim
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. object — to protest
  22. field — farmland
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. current — happening now

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