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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pop — music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. prune — to trim
  5. present — the time now
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. board — to get on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pop — soda
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. hand — help
  14. board — a committee
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pop — to visit
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. present — there
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. present — a gift
  24. stem — of a plant

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