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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. scale — in music
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — a gift
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. present — the time now
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chip — to eat
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. present — there
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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