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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. row — a line
  4. prune — to trim
  5. row — to paddle
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pit — in a race
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bass — the fish
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cold — an illness
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bass — low music
  24. chip — for betting

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