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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. spring — the season
  4. prune — to trim
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. spring — a coil
  7. firm — steady
  8. scale — size or range
  9. net — after costs
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. current — of water
  13. firm — a company
  14. spring — of water
  15. bore — to drill
  16. firm — decided
  17. current — happening now
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. scale — in music
  20. current — electric
  21. net — in sport
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. net — for catching

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