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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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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 · pop · bat · firm · lean · file · present · can

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. file — a document
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. firm — a company
  8. can — a tin
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. present — the time now
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. present — a gift
  14. file — a tool
  15. firm — decided
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pop — soda
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. present — there
  23. firm — steady
  24. can — a tin

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