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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — in music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pitch — completely
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bulb — for light
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bark — to shout
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ball — a great time
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stem — of a plant

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