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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wound — an injury
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. can — to be able to
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. present — there
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chip — for betting
  19. can — a tin
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. chip — in a computer

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