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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. game — a match
  3. rule — a law
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rock — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitch — completely
  8. prune — to trim
  9. game — wild animals
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. can — a tin
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rule — government
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rock — a stone
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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