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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bass — low music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stand — to bear
  7. branch — a division
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. march — music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pitch — completely
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bass — the fish
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. march — the month
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mate — a partner

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