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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wound — an injury
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. present — a gift
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. ground — crushed
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. club — a group
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. club — for golf
  19. prune — to trim
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — for dancing

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