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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. swing — in golf
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. content — the amount
  7. can — a tin
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. object — a thing
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. swing — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. swing — to play on
  15. object — an aim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stem — to come from
  22. object — to protest
  23. rock — music
  24. content — happy

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