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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. scale — size or range
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. scale — in music
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. patient — a sick person

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