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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. track — a song
  7. land — a country
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — a group
  11. track — a path
  12. pop — soda
  13. content — the amount
  14. club — for golf
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. content — happy
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mine — for digging
  22. club — for dancing
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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