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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bear — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fine — all right
  9. tube — a container
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. tube — the underground
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mine — for digging

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