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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. can — a tin
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. clip — a video
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. can — a tin
  11. mug — a face
  12. fork — in a road
  13. suit — clothes
  14. clip — for paper
  15. suit — to fit
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. land — to come down
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. land — a country

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