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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a skill
  3. chip — to eat
  4. track — a path
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mate — to breed
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mate — a friend
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. craft — boats
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pound — a weight
  24. race — humankind

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