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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rock — music
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rock — a stone
  19. branch — a division
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — electric

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