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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rule — government
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. prune — to trim
  10. branch — a division
  11. rule — a law
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. track — to keep track
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. track — a song
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a path
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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