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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. prune — to trim
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stem — to come from
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. vault — a safe
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stem — a stem cell

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