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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. tube — a container
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stem — to come from
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pop — soda
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pop — to visit
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. game — a match
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pop — music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mouse — for a computer

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