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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — clever
  3. suit — to fit
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. current — happening now
  7. bank — of a river
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. scale — size or range
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. current — electric
  15. bark — to shout
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bank — for money
  18. scale — in music
  19. bank — for money
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. last — finally
  23. suit — in cards
  24. prune — to trim

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