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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. suit — to fit
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. suit — in cards
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hand — help
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bass — low music
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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