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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. prune — to trim
  15. drill — army training
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — to trim

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