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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. track — a path
  7. toast — bread
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. firm — a company
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. firm — steady
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. firm — decided
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. game — a match
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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