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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ground — crushed
  3. tube — a container
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rock — a stone
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ground — a position
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tube — the underground

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