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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cue — a signal
  7. net — after costs
  8. field — a subject
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. board — to get on
  13. track — a path
  14. board — a committee
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mine — for digging
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. net — for catching
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. net — in sport
  21. track — a song
  22. field — for sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. field — farmland

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