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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pop — soda
  8. mug — a face
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hand — help
  16. pop — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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