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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fork — in a road
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. toast — bread
  16. bank — for money
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bank — for money
  21. rest — a break
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitch — completely
  24. straw — dry grass

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