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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pop — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ground — a position
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. kid — child
  17. ground — the earth
  18. staff — employees
  19. pop — soda
  20. staff — employees
  21. stem — to come from
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bear — the animal

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