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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mine — for digging
  10. can — a tin
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stand — to bear
  24. lash — to lash out

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