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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. game — a match
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. suit — to fit
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. staff — employees
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. game — wild animals
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. staff — employees
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. suit — in cards
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. scale — in music
  23. date — the fruit
  24. staff — a stick

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