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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · spell · pop · bear · club · stem · ruler · chest

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pop — soda
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spell — letters
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. club — for golf
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pop — music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chest — a box
  22. spell — magic
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ball — a great time

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