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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pound — a weight
  4. season — in sport
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — a group
  8. stem — to come from
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mug — a cup
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. season — of the year
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. club — for golf

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