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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ground — a position
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. firm — decided
  7. bass — the fish
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ground — the earth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — steady
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. deal — to handle
  16. firm — a company
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bass — low music
  21. board — a committee
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. board — to get on

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