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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. swing — music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. root — of a word
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mate — to breed
  10. date — the fruit
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. root — the cause
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. firm — steady
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. swing — to play on
  20. firm — decided
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cue — a signal

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