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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stock — shares
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chest — a box
  10. foot — a measure
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stock — goods
  21. chest — of your body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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