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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ball — a great time
  6. march — the month
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stem — to come from
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. prune — to trim
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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