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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rock — music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. board — a committee
  6. stem — to come from
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — to cut
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. clip — for paper
  14. club — a group
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. club — for dancing
  17. press — to push
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. club — for golf

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