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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rest — a break
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. plane — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tear — from crying
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stem — to come from

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