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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mug — a cup
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pop — to visit
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. row — a line
  15. pop — music
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pop — soda
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mug — a face
  22. wake — a trail
  23. row — to paddle
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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