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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fine — all right
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — high quality
  10. net — in sport
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitch — completely
  18. net — for catching
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. net — after costs
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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