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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. present — a gift
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fine — all right
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wake — a trail
  9. chair — a leader
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. present — there
  14. club — for golf
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. row — a line
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. present — the time now
  21. fine — high quality
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. suit — in cards

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