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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ground — the earth
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ground — a position
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. prune — the fruit

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