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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. band — a ring
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pop — soda
  10. prune — to trim
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pop — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitch — completely
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mug — a face
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mug — to rob

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