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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. charge — electricity
  8. swing — in golf
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. prune — to trim
  11. charge — in control
  12. swing — to play on
  13. charge — a price
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. swing — music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cold — an illness
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. racket — for tennis

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