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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 124 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. foot — a measure
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pound — a weight
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bear — the animal

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