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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. key — the most important part
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. key — in music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chair — a leader
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — of a plant

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