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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rule — a law
  7. board — to get on
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. clip — for paper
  11. roll — a cake
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. pop — music
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pop — soda
  17. clip — a video
  18. rule — government
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. prune — to trim

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