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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. club — for golf
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wound — an injury
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mate — a partner
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — to sink
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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