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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mine — for digging
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — of a river
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bank — for money
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bank — for money
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stem — to come from
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. suit — to fit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stem — of a plant

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