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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. march — music
  8. root — the cause
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. march — the month
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. march — the month
  14. bat — the animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lie — an untruth

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