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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. current — happening now
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. current — electric
  5. sharp — clever
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. track — to keep track
  12. plane — a tool
  13. track — a song
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. current — of water
  22. squash — the sport
  23. swing — in golf
  24. track — a path

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