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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pass — a permit
  4. dip — to sink
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — a path
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bulb — for light
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pitch — completely
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitch — a sports field

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