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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. court — for sport
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. court — of law
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. court — of a king
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. object — an aim
  18. stem — to come from
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. band — a music group
  24. patient — a sick person

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