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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pop — to visit
  5. board — to get on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pop — soda
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — a committee
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — in football
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pop — music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. kick — with a leg

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