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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. sharp — clever
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. land — to come down
  8. board — a committee
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. board — to get on
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. land — a country
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. land — ground
  24. pound — a weight

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