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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. capital — money
  3. mug — to rob
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mug — a face
  6. capital — a city
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lie — to recline
  23. can — a tin
  24. capital — a big letter

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