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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. present — a gift
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. club — a group
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. club — for golf
  14. present — there
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. prune — to trim
  18. present — the time now
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lean — thin
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. club — for dancing

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