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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. file — a document
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ball — a great time
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ball — a dance
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mate — to breed
  22. file — a tool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. prune — to trim

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