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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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stem — to come from
  3. land — to come down
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — a price
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. land — ground
  16. charge — in control
  17. mine — for digging
  18. land — a country
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bass — low music
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mouse — for a computer

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