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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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. net — after costs
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pit — in a race
  10. club — a group
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. net — for catching
  13. pit — a hole
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — clever
  16. saw — the tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. club — for golf

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