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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — high quality
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fine — all right
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rash — hasty
  24. press — a publisher

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