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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. last — final
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. last — finally
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — to go on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — a grade
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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