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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. roll — a cake
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. race — humankind
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ball — a dance
  19. roll — a list
  20. rock — music
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. race — a contest
  24. fan — a supporter

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