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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. land — a country
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. row — to paddle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. row — a line
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. deal — to handle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — a hat
  20. land — ground
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. land — to come down
  24. bass — low music

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