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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spell — magic
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. root — of a word
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. board — a committee
  13. spell — a short time
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. dip — to sink
  17. root — the cause
  18. spell — letters
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stem — to come from
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. board — to get on
  24. dip — to dunk

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