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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rest — a break
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mug — a face
  10. fork — in a road
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bass — low music
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stem — to come from

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