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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. squash — to crush
  5. court — of law
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mug — a face
  12. court — of a king
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — for sport
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — low music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. squash — the vegetable

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