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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ground — the earth
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — ground
  7. swing — in golf
  8. land — to come down
  9. saw — the tool
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. land — a country
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. swing — music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — in a race
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ground — a position
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ground — crushed
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. swing — to play on
  24. trunk — of a car

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