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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bass — low music
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bass — the fish
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stem — of a plant

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