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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rock — a stone
  8. content — happy
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rock — music
  12. content — the amount
  13. suit — clothes
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ball — a dance
  18. band — a ring
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. ball — a great time
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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