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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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 — the fruit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — to trim
  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