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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bass — the fish
  11. kid — child
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. last — to go on
  14. game — wild animals
  15. scale — size or range
  16. last — finally
  17. bass — low music
  18. game — a match
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. last — final

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