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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stock — goods
  6. perch — the fish
  7. file — a tool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. file — a line of people
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stock — shares
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cap — a hat
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. file — a document
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chair — to sit on

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