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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. prune — to trim
  8. club — for dancing
  9. can — a tin
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. can — to be able to
  12. club — for golf
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitch — completely
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. club — a group
  24. can — a tin

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