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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. content — the amount
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. content — happy
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pound — a weight
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. track — to keep track
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pound — for dogs

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