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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wound — an injury
  6. club — for golf
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. land — a country
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rule — a law
  12. club — a group
  13. land — to come down
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rule — government
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. land — ground
  24. bowl — to roll

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