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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. club — for golf
  6. drill — army training
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — music
  14. club — a group
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ball — a great time
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pop — soda
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stem — a stem cell

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