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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pop — music
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pop — soda
  9. lean — to bend
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pit — in a race
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lean — thin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. content — happy
  24. pop — to visit

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