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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: present · mug · swing · prune · suit · fork · bat · pit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. swing — music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — the time now
  5. mug — a cup
  6. present — a gift
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mug — to rob
  9. suit — to fit
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mug — a face
  14. present — there
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. fork — in a road
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fork — a garden tool

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