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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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. wake — before a funeral
  4. net — after costs
  5. board — a committee
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. object — to protest
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. net — in sport
  14. object — a thing
  15. board — to get on
  16. object — an aim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. net — for catching
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pound — a weight
  22. tube — a container
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — in a tire

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