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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wind — moving air

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