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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lie — to recline
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. prune — to trim
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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