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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 116 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. branch — a division
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bat — 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