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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. board — a committee
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rock — music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pound — a weight
  10. track — a song
  11. bound — certain
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. object — an aim
  16. board — to get on
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bound — obliged
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. object — a thing
  23. rash — a series
  24. object — to protest

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