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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a dance
  4. game — wild animals
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cue — for pool
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tear — from crying
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cue — a signal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. board — to get on
  16. vault — a safe
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. board — a committee
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stem — to come from
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tear — to rip

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