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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: can · prune · stick · pitch · chest · deal · file · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. can — a tin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chest — a box
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rest — a break
  18. file — a document
  19. rest — what's left
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. chest — of your body
  23. can — to be able to
  24. deal — to handle

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