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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. band — a ring
  5. rock — music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rule — a law
  12. rock — a stone
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a music group
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. ground — a position
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rule — government
  24. stem — to come from

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