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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. spring — the season
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. face — to confront
  17. rock — music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stand — to bear
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bass — the fish
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pitch — a sports field

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