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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. net — for catching
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. can — a tin
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. net — in sport
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. can — a tin
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. net — after costs
  17. mark — a grade
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mark — a trace

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