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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stem — to come from
  6. dip — to sink
  7. charge — a price
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. charge — in control
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pound — a weight
  17. capital — a city
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. capital — money
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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