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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. club — for golf
  8. spell — a short time
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. band — a ring
  11. club — a group
  12. band — a music group
  13. firm — steady
  14. object — a thing
  15. spell — magic
  16. object — an aim
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. firm — decided
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. firm — a company
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. spell — letters
  23. club — for dancing
  24. object — to protest

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