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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. pop — music
  11. present — there
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pop — to visit

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