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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. present — a gift
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. ground — a position
  5. lean — to bend
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. pop — music
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. object — to protest
  11. pop — soda
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ground — crushed
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. present — the time now
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. present — there
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lean — thin
  23. ground — the earth
  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