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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 116 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fine — all right
  9. sharp — clever
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mark — a trace
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mark — a grade

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