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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 116 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — music
  7. ground — a position
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pop — soda
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ground — crushed
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stem — to come from
  21. suit — to fit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pop — to visit

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