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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — an injury
  4. court — of law
  5. land — ground
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. object — an aim
  12. land — to come down
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — a thing
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. object — to protest
  23. court — for sport
  24. mouse — for a computer

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