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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. present — there
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. object — a thing
  7. ground — crushed
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rock — music
  11. present — a gift
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. object — an aim
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ground — a position
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. object — to protest
  21. stem — to come from
  22. present — the time now
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rock — a stone

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