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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rock — music
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stem — to come from
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a great time
  8. track — a song
  9. spell — letters
  10. track — a path
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spell — magic
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bank — for money
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bank — for money
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bank — of a river

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