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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bass — low music
  3. drill — army training
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bass — the fish
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. staff — employees
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mate — a friend
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — a partner
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wave — of the sea

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