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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 a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. prune — to trim
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stem — to come from
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mine — for digging
  16. band — a music group
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. prune — to trim
  22. band — a ring
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. safe — out of danger

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