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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — a face
  8. race — the arms race
  9. board — a committee
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stand — to bear
  12. spell — magic
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. foot — a measure
  15. race — a contest
  16. board — to get on
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mug — a cup
  22. race — humankind
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. prune — to trim

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