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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 just a dried plum.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. net — for catching
  4. rock — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rock — a stone
  11. chair — a leader
  12. suit — to fit
  13. drill — the tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stem — to come from
  19. suit — in cards
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. net — after costs
  24. stem — a stem cell

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