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

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stem — to come from
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cue — a hint
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pitch — completely
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bound — tied together
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — for pool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cue — a signal

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