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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. can — a tin
  4. firm — steady
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. spring — the season
  9. land — to come down
  10. firm — decided
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — a company
  13. spring — a coil
  14. can — a tin
  15. lean — thin
  16. chip — for betting
  17. prune — to trim
  18. land — ground
  19. lean — to bend
  20. land — a country
  21. spring — of water
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. can — to be able to

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