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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cap — of ice
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stem — to come from
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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