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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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mark — a trace
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mug — a face
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rock — music
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fork — to eat with

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