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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. club — a group
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rock — a stone
  13. capital — a city
  14. content — happy
  15. club — for golf
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. club — for dancing
  20. content — the amount
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. capital — money
  23. track — a path
  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