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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pitch — completely
  6. can — a tin
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fork — in a road
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pit — in a race
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cap — a lid
  15. can — a tin
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. can — to be able to
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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