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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chip — for betting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. prune — to trim
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. shower — rain
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bore — to drill
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bank — for money
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bank — of a river
  22. craft — boats
  23. pit — a hole
  24. chip — in a computer

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