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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. kid — child
  9. pop — soda
  10. bulb — for light
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pop — to visit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tear — to rip
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pop — music
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. kid — to tease
  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