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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. spring — of water
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. club — for golf
  7. spell — letters
  8. mug — a face
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mug — a cup
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mug — to rob
  13. spell — magic
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. club — a group
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. club — for dancing
  20. prune — to trim
  21. object — a thing
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. object — to protest

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