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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. kid — child
  3. club — a group
  4. sharp — clever
  5. hand — help
  6. present — a gift
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. club — for golf
  11. present — the time now
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. prune — to trim
  18. present — there
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. club — for dancing
  21. kid — to tease
  22. hand — in cards
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stand — to bear

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