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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. stem — to come from
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. object — an aim
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. deal — to handle
  15. date — the fruit
  16. ball — a great time
  17. object — a thing
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — clever
  21. object — to protest
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. band — a rubber band

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