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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. tube — a container
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. band — a ring
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. tube — the underground
  11. dip — to sink
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. deal — to handle
  19. prune — to trim
  20. band — a music group
  21. march — music
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. dip — to dunk

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