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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. land — a country
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. prune — to trim
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. land — ground
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. perch — the fish
  14. land — to come down
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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