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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. charge — a price
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stem — to come from
  5. net — for catching
  6. wound — an injury
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. prune — to trim
  10. charge — in control
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. charge — electricity
  21. scale — in music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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