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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rash — a series
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bound — tied together
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pop — music
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bound — certain
  14. club — a group
  15. stem — to come from
  16. staff — a stick
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. club — for golf
  21. pop — soda
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stem — of a plant

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