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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. season — of the year
  3. foot — a measure
  4. season — in sport
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rule — a law
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. branch — a division
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bat — the animal
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bass — low music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stem — of a plant

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