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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. field — a subject
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spring — a coil
  5. last — finally
  6. club — a group
  7. last — to go on
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. field — for sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. perch — the fish
  12. club — for golf
  13. stem — to come from
  14. last — final
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spring — of water
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spring — the season
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. field — farmland
  24. perch — for a bird

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