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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stem — to come from
  5. content — the amount
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ground — a position
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. ground — the earth
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. craft — a skill
  14. content — happy
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. craft — boats
  20. ground — crushed
  21. prune — to trim
  22. date — the fruit
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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