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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — of water
  12. prune — to trim
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rush — hurry
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. pop — soda
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pop — to visit
  20. roll — a list
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — a thrill

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