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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. root — the cause
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pop — to visit
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitch — completely
  12. net — after costs
  13. root — of a plant
  14. net — in sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pop — soda
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pop — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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