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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. current — of water
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. current — electric
  10. rash — a series
  11. pop — soda
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. band — a music group
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pop — music
  17. band — a ring
  18. current — happening now
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. stem — to come from
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pop — to visit

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