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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. net — in sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — to fit
  9. file — a tool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wake — a trail
  13. ground — a position
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. file — a document
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. suit — clothes
  24. object — an aim

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