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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — a measure
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wind — moving air
  18. season — in sport
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. prune — to trim
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. season — of the year

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