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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 124 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. march — the month
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ground — the earth
  6. march — music
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. object — an aim
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. ground — crushed
  12. object — to protest
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rock — music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rock — a stone
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stem — to come from
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rush — hurry
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — a position
  23. dip — to sink
  24. date — the fruit

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