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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. toast — bread
  4. net — in sport
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rock — music
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rock — a stone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pit — a hole
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. net — after costs
  16. prune — to trim
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. net — for catching

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