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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tube — the underground
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — the season
  10. can — a tin
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tube — a container
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. board — to get on
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chip — to eat
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. can — to be able to
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. board — a committee
  24. prune — to trim

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