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

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bass — low music
  3. pop — soda
  4. bass — the fish
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pop — music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. charge — a price
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. charge — in control
  16. rash — a series
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bass — the instrument

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