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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bulb — for light
  4. saw — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. perch — the fish
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pit — a hole
  16. board — to get on
  17. band — a ring
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — the tool
  22. board — a committee
  23. band — a music group
  24. deal — to handle

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