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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · prune · scale · bear · racket · pitcher · safe · straw

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stem — to come from
  5. prune — to trim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. scale — in music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. scale — for weighing

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