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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. suit — clothes
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. ball — a dance
  6. land — a country
  7. row — to paddle
  8. march — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. march — the month
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stem — to come from
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. row — a line
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. march — the month
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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