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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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 — to trim
  2. present — there
  3. race — humankind
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. race — a contest
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pop — music
  9. scale — in music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pop — soda
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pop — to visit
  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