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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. prune — to trim
  3. club — for dancing
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. club — a group
  6. date — the fruit
  7. band — a ring
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. band — a music group
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — the earth
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. club — for golf
  20. prune — to trim
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ground — a position
  24. date — on the calendar

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