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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cell — a phone
  3. net — in sport
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rule — a law
  6. fork — in a road
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. net — for catching
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pitch — completely
  20. net — after costs
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rule — government

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