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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pop — soda
  3. stem — to come from
  4. can — a tin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. date — the fruit
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spring — a coil
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pop — to visit
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. kick — in football

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