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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 120 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: stem · wave · club · ground · firm · mouse

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ground — a position
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. club — for golf
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. club — a group
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wave — of the sea

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