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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mark — a grade
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. chest — a box
  17. pop — soda
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pop — music
  20. roll — a list
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mark — to pay attention

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