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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. march — music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. craft — a skill
  9. roll — a list
  10. craft — boats
  11. roll — a cake
  12. march — the month
  13. stem — to come from
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. craft — a handicraft

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