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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 116 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. season — of the year
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. season — in sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. club — for golf
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. land — ground
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. land — to come down
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. land — a country
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mouse — the animal

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