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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fine — all right
  8. club — for dancing
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. staff — employees
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. club — a group
  18. fine — high quality
  19. club — for golf
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bass — low music

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