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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. race — a contest
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pop — music
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pop — soda
  17. mark — a trace
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chip — to eat
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — for light

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