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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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. chair — a professorship
  4. game — wild animals
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pop — to visit
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tube — a container
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. snap — to click
  14. fine — all right
  15. pop — soda
  16. game — a match
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pop — music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lean — thin
  24. chair — to sit on

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