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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 · object · snap · pop · chair · straw · prune · mug

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pop — soda
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to click
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. object — to protest
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. object — a thing
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pop — music
  18. mug — a cup
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pop — to visit
  21. object — an aim
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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