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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — for a lock
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. land — to come down
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. squash — the sport
  14. plane — a tool
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. key — the most important part
  18. squash — to crush
  19. can — a tin
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. key — in music
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. leaves — of a tree

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