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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cell — a phone
  6. suit — clothes
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pit — a hole
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pit — in a race
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cap — of ice

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