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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. club — a group
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spring — of water
  8. club — for golf
  9. spell — a short time
  10. prune — to trim
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. prune — to trim
  16. club — for dancing
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. spell — letters
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pitch — completely
  23. spell — magic
  24. pound — for dogs

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