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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. wake — a trail
  6. land — to come down
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stem — to come from
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. race — a contest
  13. chest — of your body
  14. land — a country
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. race — humankind
  17. band — a ring
  18. land — ground
  19. suit — to fit
  20. race — the arms race
  21. suit — clothes
  22. band — a music group
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wake — before a funeral

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