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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. club — for dancing
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. club — for golf
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. club — a group
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bore — to drill
  16. track — a path
  17. bulb — for light
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bore — to tire
  22. track — a song
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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