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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 · suit · roll · can · trunk · ground · object · last

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. last — finally
  3. suit — to fit
  4. can — a tin
  5. suit — in cards
  6. prune — to trim
  7. last — to go on
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ground — a position
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. last — final
  15. ground — crushed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. can — to be able to
  18. object — a thing
  19. ground — the earth
  20. object — to protest
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. suit — clothes
  24. prune — the fruit

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