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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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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: deal · saw · bound · toast · bass · tear · current · prune

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. current — happening now
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tear — from crying
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bound — tied together
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bound — certain
  12. tear — from crying
  13. current — electric
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. toast — bread
  16. saw — the tool
  17. deal — to handle
  18. current — of water
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. tear — to rip
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bound — obliged

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