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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — music
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — a stone
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bass — low music
  15. pitch — completely
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rule — a law
  18. track — a song
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stem — a stem cell

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