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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pitch — completely
  6. board — a committee
  7. scale — in music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. field — for sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  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