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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. shower — rain
  6. suit — in cards
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. shower — to wash
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. date — the fruit
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. face — to confront
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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