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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. bass — low music
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. staff — employees
  9. tube — a container
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stand — to bear
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bass — the fish
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. staff — employees
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pop — to visit
  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