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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bass — low music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. game — wild animals
  12. club — for golf
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bore — to tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rock — music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bore — to drill
  24. game — a match

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