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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bass — the fish
  5. suit — to fit
  6. land — ground
  7. stem — to come from
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bass — low music
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — clothes
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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