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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 124 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. march — music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. prune — to trim
  10. can — to be able to
  11. charge — in control
  12. march — the month
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mark — a grade
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mark — a trace
  18. march — the month
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stem — to come from
  21. can — a tin
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. can — a tin

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