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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 116 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. club — a group
  3. suit — to fit
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. suit — clothes
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. club — for dancing
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — a country
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. land — ground
  20. bore — to drill
  21. club — for golf
  22. land — to come down
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pass — a permit

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