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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. race — humankind
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spring — the season
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mark — a trace
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spring — a coil
  22. race — a contest
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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