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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. land — ground
  9. fine — all right
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rest — a break
  15. staff — employees
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — help
  19. land — to come down
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hand — in cards
  24. land — a country

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