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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. last — final
  5. pop — to visit
  6. chip — for betting
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. last — finally
  12. pop — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. last — to go on
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pop — soda
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. field — for sport
  24. prune — to trim

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