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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. present — the time now
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. present — a gift
  14. season — of the year
  15. present — there
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lean — thin
  19. cold — an illness
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cold — not warm
  24. squash — the sport

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