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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: club · kid · roll · fine · spell · hand · stem · rock

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fine — all right
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. spell — letters
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. hand — help
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. stem — to come from
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spell — a short time
  18. roll — a list
  19. spell — magic
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. kid — child
  24. roll — a cake

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