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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. object — a thing
  3. stem — to come from
  4. spring — the season
  5. object — an aim
  6. bass — low music
  7. spring — a coil
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bass — the fish
  11. object — to protest
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spring — of water
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fork — in a road
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stem — of a plant

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