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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. squash — to crush
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. game — a match
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rock — a stone
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ground — the earth
  14. row — a line
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rock — music
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ground — a position
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rock — to move gently

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