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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bass — the fish
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. race — a contest
  6. stem — to come from
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rush — hurry
  10. roll — a list
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. race — humankind
  17. suit — in cards
  18. race — the arms race
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. suit — clothes
  23. roll — a cake
  24. stem — of a plant

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