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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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. bowl — a football final
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spell — letters
  8. pop — to visit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spell — magic
  12. pop — soda
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. suit — clothes
  15. root — of a word
  16. spell — a short time
  17. root — the cause
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stem — to come from
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fine — all right

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