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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. club — for golf
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pound — a weight
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fine — all right
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. club — a group
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bear — to put up with

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