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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. shower — to wash
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — high quality
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. club — a group
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fine — all right
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. branch — a division

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