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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. suit — in cards
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. suit — to fit
  11. capital — a city
  12. pit — in a race
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rule — a law
  15. capital — money
  16. rule — government
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pit — a hole
  19. suit — clothes
  20. chair — a leader
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wake — a trail
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. capital — a big letter

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