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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. board — to get on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stock — goods
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stock — shares
  10. stem — to come from
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fall — to drop
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. board — a committee

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