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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: rash · club · mug · season · object · content · stem · pound

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. object — to protest
  3. mug — a cup
  4. season — of the year
  5. mug — a face
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. object — an aim
  11. pound — a weight
  12. club — for golf
  13. object — a thing
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rash — a series
  20. content — the amount
  21. season — in sport
  22. content — happy
  23. mug — to rob
  24. club — a group

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