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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. object — an aim
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. board — to get on
  6. shower — to wash
  7. object — to protest
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. shower — rain
  14. object — a thing
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — low music
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bulb — for light
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. jam — a tight spot

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