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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. club — a group
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. march — music
  9. net — after costs
  10. cell — a phone
  11. root — the cause
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cell — in biology
  14. club — for golf
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. club — for dancing
  17. net — for catching
  18. root — of a word
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — to trim
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. march — the month

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