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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · fine · roll · hand · sharp · present · cap · deal

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. present — the time now
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — all right
  7. cap — a hat
  8. hand — in cards
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. prune — to trim
  18. present — there
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hand — help
  24. present — a gift

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