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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bank — of a river
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bank — for money
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bank — for money
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — hurry
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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