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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pop — soda
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cap — a lid
  7. club — a group
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cap — of ice
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. kick — in football
  14. stem — to come from
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. season — of the year
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. season — in sport
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pop — music
  23. club — for golf
  24. season — to add flavour

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