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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. march — the month
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — hasty
  10. land — ground
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rash — a series
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — music
  18. club — for golf
  19. land — a country
  20. firm — steady
  21. land — to come down
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. firm — decided
  24. march — the month

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