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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. board — to get on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. game — a match
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. club — for golf
  16. stem — to come from
  17. club — a group
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cap — a hat
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. board — a committee
  22. cap — of ice
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cap — a lid

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