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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — low music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. firm — a company
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. firm — steady
  14. pop — music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pop — soda
  17. wound — an injury
  18. firm — decided

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