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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. current — happening now
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. club — a group
  11. spell — magic
  12. current — of water
  13. spell — letters
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. club — for golf
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — a weight
  24. current — electric

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