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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. rock — a stone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — for golf
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rock — music

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