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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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — all right
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. net — after costs
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rock — a stone
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rest — a break
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rock — music
  20. bass — low music
  21. net — for catching
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. net — in sport
  24. fine — a penalty

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