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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. rest — a break
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cap — a lid
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cap — a hat
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pound — a weight
  22. scale — in music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. prune — to trim

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