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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. firm — decided
  9. prune — to trim
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rule — government
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. firm — a company
  17. mate — a partner
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. firm — steady
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rule — a law
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. prune — to trim

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