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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. lean — thin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. prune — to trim
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. object — an aim
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. net — in sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rash — hasty
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. net — for catching
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rash — a series
  23. net — after costs
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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