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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mate — a partner
  4. club — for golf
  5. craft — boats
  6. mate — a friend
  7. court — of law
  8. mate — to breed
  9. craft — a skill
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. court — of a king
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. court — for sport
  15. stand — to bear
  16. club — a group
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stem — to come from
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stem — a stem cell

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