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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. can — a tin
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. can — a tin
  7. fine — high quality
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fine — all right
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. prune — to trim
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. row — a line
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. prune — the fruit

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