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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rash — a series
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ball — a dance
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rash — hasty

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