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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stem — to come from
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. scale — in music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. scale — size or range
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pass — a permit
  17. key — in music
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pass — to succeed

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