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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 120 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: bore · trunk · fine · sharp · prune · mouse · pitch · land

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. sharp — clever
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. land — a country
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fine — all right
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mouse — the animal

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