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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kid — child
  3. current — electric
  4. swing — to play on
  5. march — the month
  6. current — happening now
  7. kid — to tease
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. march — music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. toast — bread
  13. swing — music
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. plane — a tool
  16. current — of water
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. march — the month
  19. swing — in golf
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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