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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stand — to bear
  5. staff — employees
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. staff — employees
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cue — a signal
  13. track — a song
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mate — to breed

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