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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — employees
  14. perch — the fish
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bass — low music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. track — a song
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pound — for dogs

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