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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. ground — crushed
  3. kick — in football
  4. march — the month
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. march — the month
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. ground — a position
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ground — the earth
  20. club — for dancing
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  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