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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. suit — clothes
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. roll — a list
  8. firm — a company
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. firm — decided
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. firm — steady
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. tube — a container
  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