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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stem — to come from
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. present — a gift
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pop — soda
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rock — music
  10. present — the time now
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pop — music
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. game — a match
  20. present — there
  21. land — a country
  22. pop — to visit
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. safe — a strongbox

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