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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · march · firm · mate · game · present · fall · prune

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. firm — decided
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fall — to drop
  9. present — a gift
  10. march — the month
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. firm — a company
  15. march — the month
  16. fall — the season
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. present — there
  19. march — music
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mate — a partner
  22. firm — steady
  23. present — the time now
  24. dip — a sauce

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