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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pop — music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — goods
  8. band — a music group
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ball — a great time
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pop — soda
  22. band — a ring
  23. stock — shares
  24. ball — a dance

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