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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bass — low music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mug — a face
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cap — a lid

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