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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pit — a hole
  13. hand — help
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cap — a lid
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pit — in a race

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