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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mark — a trace
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. shower — to wash
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. firm — steady
  16. shower — rain
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. firm — decided
  19. mark — a grade
  20. deal — to handle
  21. firm — a company
  22. last — to go on
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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