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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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bear — the animal
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pop — music
  8. current — of water
  9. mug — a face
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rest — a break
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. game — a match
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pop — soda
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. game — a kind of play

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