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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. row — a line
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. key — the most important part
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stem — to come from
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mug — a face
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. pop — to visit
  23. key — in music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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