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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — boats
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stock — shares
  6. stem — to come from
  7. band — a music group
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ball — a dance
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. band — a ring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ball — a great time
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stock — goods
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. craft — a handicraft

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