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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — clothes
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bass — low music
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wake — a trail
  11. suit — in cards
  12. land — ground
  13. spell — letters
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. land — a country
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wake — before a funeral

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