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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 120 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pop — to visit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — a company
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pop — music
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ground — crushed
  12. firm — steady
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. ground — the earth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. firm — decided
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pop — soda
  23. ground — a position
  24. mouse — the animal

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