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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. pop — music
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pop — soda
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pop — to visit

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