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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — for sport
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. prune — to trim
  8. court — of a king
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. land — a country
  16. stem — to come from
  17. court — of law
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. land — to come down
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. land — ground

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