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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 116 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: spring · pop · mouse · pit · mark · ground · fan · prune

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spring — the season
  14. ground — a position
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pop — soda
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pop — music
  24. prune — the fruit

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