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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. firm — a company
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. key — for a lock
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bulb — for light
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — in music
  16. present — a gift
  17. bulb — for light
  18. firm — steady
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. firm — decided
  22. prune — to trim
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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