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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 116 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. clip — a video
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitch — completely
  10. swing — to play on
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. swing — music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. clip — for paper
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stock — shares
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — a tin

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