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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. row — a line
  12. bore — to tire
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bore — to drill
  15. chest — a box
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. row — a quarrel

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