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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. content — the amount
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stem — to come from
  6. capital — a city
  7. firm — decided
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rule — a law
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. firm — a company
  13. ground — a position
  14. capital — money
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rule — government
  17. ground — the earth
  18. content — happy
  19. firm — steady
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. capital — a big letter
  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