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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 116 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chip — for betting
  5. present — a gift
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mark — a grade
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chip — to eat
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. present — the time now
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. present — there

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