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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pit — in a race
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. firm — decided
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. roll — a cake
  11. firm — steady
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mark — a trace
  14. deal — to handle
  15. last — finally
  16. cold — not warm
  17. firm — a company
  18. roll — a list
  19. last — to go on
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cold — an illness
  23. last — final
  24. pit — a hole

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