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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. club — for golf
  3. pop — music
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fall — the season
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. roll — a list
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. club — a group
  24. roll — a cake

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