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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rock — a stone
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rock — music
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mug — a cup
  9. club — for dancing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mug — to rob
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pass — a permit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. club — a group
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. scale — in music
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mug — a face
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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