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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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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: ruler · wave · stem · pit · bat · pop · rock · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. club — for golf
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rock — music
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stem — to come from

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