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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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spell — a short time
  8. club — for dancing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spell — magic
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spell — letters
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stock — shares
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stock — goods
  24. calf — a young animal

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