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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. game — a match
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wake — a trail
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — the fish
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. present — there
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. charge — a price
  14. stem — to come from
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. present — the time now
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bass — low music
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. present — a gift
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. foot — a measure

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