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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cap — a hat
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. club — for golf
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cap — a lid
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. club — a group

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