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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. ground — crushed
  3. content — happy
  4. firm — a company
  5. club — a group
  6. stem — to come from
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. root — of a word
  12. firm — steady
  13. club — for golf
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. root — the cause
  16. firm — decided
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. club — for dancing
  24. stem — a stem cell

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