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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ground — a position
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — a hat
  24. suit — to fit

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