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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: current · bear · stick · snap · deal · prune · ball · fine

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to click
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ball — a dance
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. current — of water
  9. deal — to handle
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — to trim
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fine — all right
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. current — happening now
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. current — electric
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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