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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rock — a stone
  6. charge — in control
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spell — letters
  12. wound — an injury
  13. prune — to trim
  14. file — a tool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. charge — a price
  17. swing — music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. file — a document
  20. charge — electricity
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spell — magic
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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