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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rock — music
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. firm — steady
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. firm — decided
  16. pit — in a race
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. band — a ring
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. game — a match
  22. firm — a company
  23. face — to point toward
  24. game — wild animals

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