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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wake — a trail
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. prune — to trim
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. scale — in music
  24. rush — hurry

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