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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rule — a law
  5. prune — to trim
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — a song
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pass — a permit
  16. net — in sport
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — a path
  19. net — for catching
  20. rule — government
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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