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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. club — for dancing
  3. hand — in cards
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — happening now
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bore — to tire
  9. club — a group
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. hand — help
  18. chip — for betting
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. current — electric
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. current — of water
  23. dip — to sink
  24. club — for golf

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