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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. present — the time now
  7. charge — in control
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stem — to come from
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mark — a grade
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — for tennis

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