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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rest — a break
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. club — a group
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ground — the earth
  7. court — for sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — to come from
  12. squash — to crush
  13. club — for golf
  14. court — of a king
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. court — of law
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ground — a position
  20. club — for dancing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rest — what's left

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