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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. prune — to trim
  4. scale — in music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rest — what's left
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kick — in football
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. deal — to handle
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rest — a break
  24. kick — a thrill

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