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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. charge — electricity
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bass — low music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — of law
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. court — of a king
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. court — for sport
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. row — a line
  18. charge — in control
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. deal — to handle
  21. charge — a price
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. deal — an agreement

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