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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bound — tied together
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bound — obliged
  6. plane — a tool
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. clip — for paper
  9. game — a match
  10. current — electric
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bound — certain
  13. clip — a video
  14. bass — the fish
  15. game — wild animals
  16. clip — to cut
  17. prune — to trim
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. current — of water
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bass — low music
  24. current — happening now

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