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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. can — to be able to
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — a series
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — to come from
  10. current — of water
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. current — electric
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wound — an injury
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rash — hasty
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rash — on the skin

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