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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pop — soda
  10. hand — help
  11. suit — to fit
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. file — a tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. deal — to handle
  19. file — a document
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. suit — clothes
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mark — a grade

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