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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — a subject
  12. present — a gift
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. present — there
  17. field — farmland
  18. lean — thin
  19. field — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. present — the time now

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