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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. field — for sport
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mate — a friend
  12. chair — a leader
  13. field — a subject
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pop — music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bass — low music
  19. field — farmland
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pop — soda
  22. bass — the fish
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pop — to visit

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