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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. march — music
  3. club — for golf
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. march — the month
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. club — for dancing
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. object — to protest
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. club — a group
  22. object — an aim
  23. march — the month
  24. object — a thing

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