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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. net — for catching
  7. scale — size or range
  8. content — the amount
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. net — in sport
  13. rule — a law
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rule — government
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. net — after costs
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. scale — in music
  23. content — happy
  24. deal — a big deal

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