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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. game — wild animals
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. file — a document
  11. rash — a series
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pound — a weight
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. file — a tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. game — a match
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bulb — for light

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