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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. present — the time now
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. track — a song
  7. cap — a lid
  8. present — there
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. present — a gift
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. track — a path
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cap — of ice

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