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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. land — a country
  4. track — a path
  5. rock — a stone
  6. land — to come down
  7. can — a tin
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. track — a song
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. can — a tin
  13. land — ground
  14. rock — music
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chair — a leader
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — to keep track
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stem — a stem cell

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