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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mug — a face
  10. rule — government
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. swing — music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rule — a law
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mug — a cup

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