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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cell — a phone
  12. firm — a company
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. cell — in biology
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bank — for money
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. firm — steady
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. firm — decided
  24. cell — in a prison

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