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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. game — a match
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. firm — steady
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. firm — a company
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. firm — decided
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chest — a box
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chest — of your body

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