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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bass — low music
  5. capital — a city
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. object — to protest
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. object — a thing
  11. bass — the fish
  12. capital — money
  13. stem — to come from
  14. object — an aim
  15. fork — in a road
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stem — of a plant

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