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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lean — to bend
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rule — government
  14. lean — thin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. toast — bread

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