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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spring — of water
  6. pound — a weight
  7. club — a group
  8. rule — government
  9. spring — the season
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bass — low music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. spring — a coil
  17. club — for golf
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rule — a law
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bass — the instrument

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