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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bass — low music
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. firm — decided
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. firm — a company
  18. hand — help
  19. bass — the fish
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. firm — steady
  24. wave — with your hand

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