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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. club — a group
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fine — all right
  7. bark — to shout
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mate — a friend
  17. club — for golf
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — of a tree

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