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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. shower — rain
  5. bore — to tire
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. net — in sport
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wind — moving air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wind — moving air
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. board — to get on
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. board — a committee
  21. bore — to drill
  22. toast — bread
  23. net — after costs
  24. shower — to wash

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