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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. row — a line
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. prune — to trim
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rush — hurry

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