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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. land — to come down
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. land — ground
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rock — music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. land — a country
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — a hole
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. suit — clothes

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