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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. track — a path
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. shower — rain
  9. track — to keep track
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. season — of the year
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. season — in sport
  17. track — a song
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — to drill
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — gave birth

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