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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 124 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rest — what's left
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bass — low music
  9. net — after costs
  10. club — a group
  11. rest — a break
  12. bank — for money
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rest — what's left
  15. season — in sport
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. season — of the year
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bass — the fish
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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