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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. season — of the year
  5. pound — a weight
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. lean — thin
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pop — to visit
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spell — letters
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spell — magic
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pop — music
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pop — soda

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