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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. board — a committee
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pound — a weight
  15. board — to get on
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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