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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. march — the month
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. land — a country
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. march — the month
  11. bass — low music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bass — the fish
  15. land — ground
  16. object — an aim
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. march — music
  22. land — to come down
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. foot — part of the body

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