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

Word bank: tear · pit · pass · pound · stem · prune · bear · calf

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stem — to come from
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  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