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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. club — for golf
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. file — a document
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. object — a thing
  11. file — a line of people
  12. object — an aim
  13. dip — to sink
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. deal — to handle
  18. club — a group
  19. object — to protest
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. march — music
  23. file — a tool
  24. club — for dancing

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