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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 120 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. club — for golf
  6. content — the amount
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mate — a partner
  9. land — to come down
  10. rush — hurry
  11. club — for dancing
  12. land — a country
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stem — to come from
  15. club — a group
  16. content — happy
  17. mate — a friend
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. land — ground
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mate — to breed
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rush — to hurry

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