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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. club — a group
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. club — for golf
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mark — a trace
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitch — completely
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — a grade
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pit — a hole

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