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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. track — a path
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fork — in a road
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rule — government
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. race — humankind
  12. prune — to trim
  13. race — a contest
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. toast — bread
  16. rule — a law
  17. track — to keep track
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. craft — boats
  21. track — a song
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pitch — completely

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