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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. prune — to trim
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pop — soda
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mark — a trace
  18. staff — employees
  19. pop — music
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pop — to visit
  24. prune — to trim

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