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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cue — a signal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — low music
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bass — the instrument

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