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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. land — ground
  3. fork — in a road
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. snap — to click
  8. land — a country
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. swing — in golf
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — music
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. swing — to play on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. land — to come down

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