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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · land · ball · fine · stem · squash

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stem — to come from
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. fine — high quality
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pop — music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pop — soda
  16. land — to come down
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fine — all right

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