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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. club — for golf
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. drill — a practice
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. suit — to fit
  10. spell — letters
  11. club — a group
  12. march — the month
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. march — music
  15. spell — a short time
  16. drill — army training
  17. stem — to come from
  18. club — for dancing
  19. spell — magic
  20. suit — clothes
  21. craft — a skill
  22. march — the month
  23. craft — boats
  24. wake — a trail

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