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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stem — to come from
  4. firm — decided
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. land — to come down
  7. pop — soda
  8. firm — steady
  9. land — a country
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rule — a law
  12. roll — a list
  13. pop — to visit
  14. press — newspapers
  15. land — ground
  16. rule — government
  17. press — to push
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pop — music

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