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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rule — a law
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. prune — to trim
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rule — government
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mark — a trace
  16. dip — to sink
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. patient — a sick person

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