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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. land — ground
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. court — for sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. court — of a king
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. pound — a weight
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. court — of law
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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