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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. shower — rain
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hand — help
  6. shower — to wash
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bound — certain
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bound — obliged
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. hand — in cards
  24. jam — a tight spot

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