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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fine — all right
  4. bass — the fish
  5. drill — the tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fine — high quality
  11. kick — in football
  12. can — to be able to
  13. drill — army training
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fall — to drop
  21. can — a tin
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bass — low music
  24. kick — with a leg

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