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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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. scale — size or range
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cue — a hint
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tear — to rip
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cue — a signal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. tear — from crying
  21. scale — in music
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pit — in a race
  24. firm — a company

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