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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wound — an injury
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. march — the month

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