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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mug — to rob
  3. prune — to trim
  4. track — a path
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. track — to keep track
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. prune — to trim
  10. can — to be able to
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mug — a face
  16. lean — thin
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. chip — for betting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chip — to eat
  23. track — a song
  24. chip — in a computer

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