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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. net — in sport
  3. firm — steady
  4. cell — in biology
  5. firm — decided
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cell — a phone
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stem — to come from
  10. scale — in music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. net — for catching
  18. scale — size or range
  19. net — after costs
  20. stand — to bear
  21. firm — a company
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. fine — all right
  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