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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. field — farmland
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stem — to come from
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. field — a subject
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bore — to tire
  16. field — for sport
  17. bore — to drill
  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