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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. object — to protest
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. object — a thing
  8. pit — a hole
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bark — to shout
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. object — an aim
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. jam — a tight spot

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