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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — in a race
  20. swing — to play on
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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