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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lean — thin
  9. fine — all right
  10. lean — to bend
  11. degree — an amount
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fine — high quality
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fine — a penalty

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