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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. ground — the earth
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ground — a position
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a music group
  8. board — a committee
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. suit — clothes
  11. spell — a short time
  12. band — a ring
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. suit — in cards
  17. board — to get on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spell — magic
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ground — crushed
  23. spell — letters
  24. row — a quarrel

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