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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. hand — in cards
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — for money
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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