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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. club — a group
  3. pop — soda
  4. ground — crushed
  5. board — to get on
  6. pop — to visit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ground — the earth
  11. club — for golf
  12. bat — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cue — a signal
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cue — for pool
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ground — a position
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. board — a committee
  24. pop — music

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