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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pit — a hole
  3. net — in sport
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. squash — the sport
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rock — music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — a stone
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. toast — bread
  14. ground — a position
  15. net — after costs
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ground — crushed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pit — in a race
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. squash — to crush

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