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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lean — to bend
  6. prune — to trim
  7. club — a group
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. date — the fruit
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. club — for golf
  18. lean — thin
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ground — a position
  21. club — for dancing
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. key — in music
  24. stem — to come from

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