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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. firm — decided
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. firm — steady
  10. row — a line
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. firm — a company
  14. toast — bread
  15. foot — a measure
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pitch — completely
  22. game — a match
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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