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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: bulb · pit · object · fine · last · prune · ball · face

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. last — final
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fine — all right
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ball — a dance
  10. object — an aim
  11. last — finally
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. object — a thing
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. last — to go on
  24. object — to protest

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