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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. net — in sport
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. prune — to trim
  11. field — farmland
  12. net — for catching
  13. rock — music
  14. snap — to click
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. field — a subject
  19. rock — a stone
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. field — for sport
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. net — after costs

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