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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. track — a path
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. spring — the season
  5. capital — money
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bass — the fish
  8. capital — a city
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. spring — of water
  14. file — a document
  15. track — a song
  16. stem — to come from
  17. spring — a coil
  18. charge — a price
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bass — low music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stem — of a plant

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