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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 116 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. fine — all right
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. object — an aim
  14. saw — the tool
  15. net — after costs
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. net — for catching
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fine — high quality
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stand — for spectators

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