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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. land — ground
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. toast — bread
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bass — low music
  17. pop — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. land — to come down
  20. pop — soda
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mate — a friend
  23. land — a country
  24. bass — the fish

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