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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. game — wild animals
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. foot — a measure
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pit — in a race
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. foot — part of the body

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