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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · prune · pit · rock · date · game · sharp · net

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. game — wild animals
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pit — a hole
  10. game — a match
  11. date — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. net — for catching
  20. cell — a phone
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. rock — music
  24. pit — in a race

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