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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. band — a ring
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. stem — to come from
  5. shower — rain
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. shower — to wash
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. club — for golf
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. club — a group
  18. band — a music group
  19. deal — to handle
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — a big deal

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