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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fall — the season
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — decided
  11. root — the cause
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. firm — a company
  17. root — of a word
  18. firm — steady
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pitch — completely

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