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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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. club — for golf
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. club — a group
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pop — music
  10. content — happy
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pop — soda
  13. firm — a company
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. file — a document
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. file — a tool
  19. content — the amount
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mine — for digging
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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