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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. suit — to fit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wound — an injury
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. suit — in cards
  12. game — a match
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. game — wild animals
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — low music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lie — to recline

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