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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. club — a group
  4. net — for catching
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mark — a grade
  7. net — in sport
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. net — after costs
  14. stem — to come from
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. squash — to crush
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mark — a trace
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. dip — to dunk

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