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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: spell · ground · mouse · prune · pass · arm · current · roll

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spell — letters
  5. current — of water
  6. roll — a cake
  7. current — electric
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — happening now
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — magic
  16. roll — a list
  17. ground — a position
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pass — a permit
  24. ground — crushed

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