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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. current — happening now
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fine — high quality
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kick — in football
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mine — for digging
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. prune — to trim
  16. current — of water
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. present — the time now
  19. cue — a signal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fine — all right
  22. cue — a hint
  23. current — electric
  24. kick — with a leg

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