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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 116 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. current — of water
  4. capital — money
  5. root — the cause
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. present — a gift
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pass — a permit
  10. capital — a city
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. current — happening now
  13. present — there
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — of a word
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. root — of a plant
  21. current — electric
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. present — the time now
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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