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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wound — an injury
  7. capital — a city
  8. mine — for digging
  9. land — to come down
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. land — a country
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. land — ground
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. capital — money
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mine — belonging to me

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