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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 120 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. kid — child
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pop — soda
  16. fine — all right
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pop — music
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — high quality
  24. kid — to tease

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