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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pop — music
  15. fall — the season
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fall — to drop

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