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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. season — in sport
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. club — a group
  13. suit — in cards
  14. season — of the year
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pop — soda
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stem — a stem cell

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