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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. foot — a measure
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. prune — to trim
  7. toast — bread
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. sharp — clever
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bass — low music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rash — hasty
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. toast — the most admired

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