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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stock — shares
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. race — humankind
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. race — a contest
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stock — goods
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  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