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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
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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: mine · chair · bore · suit · bass · stem · rash · net

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. net — after costs
  3. stem — to come from
  4. net — in sport
  5. bass — low music
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bore — to tire
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rash — a series
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mine — for digging
  14. net — for catching
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. suit — to fit

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