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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. content — the amount
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. suit — clothes
  15. content — happy
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pound — a weight

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