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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — to keep track
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bulb — for light
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wound — an injury
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. track — a song
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pitch — completely
  19. toast — bread
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. track — a path

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