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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ball — a great time
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. club — for golf
  5. suit — to fit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rash — a series
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bass — the fish
  22. club — a group
  23. bass — low music
  24. fork — in a road

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