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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — soda
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. suit — to fit
  7. club — for dancing
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pop — to visit
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. row — a line
  14. prune — to trim
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. club — a group
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. club — for golf
  20. pop — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mine — for digging
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mouse — the animal

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