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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bore — to tire
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. swing — music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bulb — for light

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