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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ground — the earth
  4. band — a music group
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. band — a ring
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ground — a position
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stem — a stem cell

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