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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — a gift
  7. deal — to handle
  8. present — the time now
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — a phone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — in biology
  23. present — there
  24. nail — on a finger

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