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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rock — music
  3. spring — the season
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rock — a stone
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. branch — a division
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stem — to come from
  18. roll — a list
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pit — a hole
  21. spring — of water
  22. pit — in a race
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. roll — on a roll

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