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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. prune — to trim
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. prune — to trim
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitch — completely
  12. kick — in football
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. track — a path
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fine — high quality

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