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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. present — the time now
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pit — a hole
  7. net — in sport
  8. present — a gift
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pitch — completely
  13. present — there
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. prune — to trim
  19. net — for catching
  20. swing — to play on
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pit — in a race
  24. ruler — for measuring

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