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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: hide · prune · stick · pit · race · pop · land · wave

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pop — soda
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — a contest
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — ground
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — a country
  17. pit — a hole
  18. race — humankind
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. land — to come down
  24. pop — to visit

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