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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rock — music
  11. fine — all right
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stem — to come from
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. clip — a video
  20. fine — high quality
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hand — in cards
  23. clip — to cut
  24. hand — help

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