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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. scale — in music
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bulb — for light
  5. firm — a company
  6. squash — to crush
  7. content — happy
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — a face
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. firm — decided
  17. squash — the sport
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wound — an injury
  21. firm — steady
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mug — a cup

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