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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ball — a great time
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cue — for pool
  18. ball — a dance

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