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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spring — of water
  3. charge — electricity
  4. spring — a coil
  5. prune — to trim
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. vault — a safe
  18. spring — the season
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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