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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. capital — money
  3. prune — to trim
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rest — a break
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. swing — to play on
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. branch — a division
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. capital — a city
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. prune — to trim
  23. swing — music
  24. rest — what's left

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