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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. club — a group
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cue — a hint
  11. scale — in music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. club — for golf
  16. bound — certain
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stem — to come from
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stand — on your feet

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