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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pop — soda
  5. current — of water
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pop — music
  8. fall — the season
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. shower — to wash
  11. prune — to trim
  12. current — happening now
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chip — for betting
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. squash — the sport
  18. current — electric
  19. pop — to visit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — to drop
  24. shower — rain

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