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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. game — a match
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ground — a position
  18. cap — of ice
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ground — the earth
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitch — completely
  24. prune — to trim

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