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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. land — to come down
  6. charge — a price
  7. spell — letters
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. land — ground
  16. bear — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. date — the fruit
  22. charge — in control
  23. spell — a short time
  24. date — on the calendar

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