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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. court — of law
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. court — of a king
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — to come from
  12. court — for sport
  13. rock — music
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cap — of ice
  17. clip — a video
  18. cap — a lid
  19. prune — to trim
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bulb — of a plant

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