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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — there
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. present — a gift
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — a friend
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. prune — to trim
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. present — the time now
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mate — a partner

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