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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. board — to get on
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mug — a face
  5. land — a country
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. firm — decided
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fine — high quality
  12. march — the month
  13. mug — to rob
  14. dip — to sink
  15. firm — a company
  16. march — the month
  17. mug — a cup
  18. march — music
  19. firm — steady
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fine — all right
  22. board — a committee
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fine — a penalty

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