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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. toast — bread
  7. mark — a grade
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rest — a break
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bat — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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