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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rest — a break
  12. ground — the earth
  13. swing — music
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fine — all right
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bulb — for light

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