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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. track — to keep track
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. net — for catching
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. ground — crushed
  16. track — a path
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — a song
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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