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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. club — a group
  18. content — happy
  19. club — for golf
  20. press — to push
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. club — for dancing

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