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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stem — to come from
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rest — a break
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rest — what's left
  9. content — the amount
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — to keep track
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pass — a permit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. track — a song
  22. content — happy
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. suit — clothes

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