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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. drill — a practice
  4. toast — bread
  5. prune — to trim
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. root — the cause
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. ball — a dance
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitch — completely
  15. drill — army training
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. drill — the tool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. prune — to trim

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