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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. rock — music
  4. present — the time now
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fine — high quality
  8. capital — a city
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fine — all right
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. prune — to trim
  15. capital — money
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wake — a trail
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. branch — a division
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a big letter

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