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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stem — to come from
  4. dip — to sink
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ground — a position
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ground — crushed
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ground — the earth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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