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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. net — for catching
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stem — to come from
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — after costs
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. net — in sport
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rash — a series
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mate — to breed

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