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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. clip — a video
  3. march — the month
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. firm — decided
  8. club — a group
  9. clip — to cut
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. march — music
  12. pit — in a race
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. club — for dancing
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. clip — for paper
  20. prune — to trim
  21. club — for golf
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. straw — dry grass

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