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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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Word bank
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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: lie · fine · arm · roll · capital · pitcher · drill · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. capital — money
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. capital — a city
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lie — to recline
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. drill — army training
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fine — all right

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