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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: pit · row · straw · bulb · stick · prune · pass · fine

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — a hole
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — a permit
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fine — all right
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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