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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. degree — temperature
  12. hand — help
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. degree — from a university
  24. coach — a trainer

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