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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. 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. pitcher — a jug
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rule — a law
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rule — government
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. 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