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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ground — the earth
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. tube — a container
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. object — to protest
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. date — the fruit
  14. deal — to handle
  15. object — an aim
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. object — a thing
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tube — in a tire

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