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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fine — high quality
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — all right
  8. bass — low music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. key — in music
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. key — for a lock
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stock — shares
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stock — goods
  23. key — the most important part
  24. clip — a video

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