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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — for pool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. drill — army training
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. cue — a hint

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