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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. prune — to trim
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — soda
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. prune — to trim
  12. file — a line of people
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pitch — completely
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. file — a tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pop — music
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. file — a document
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. patient — a sick person

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