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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. club — a group
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. charge — a price
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — all right
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stem — to come from
  15. band — a music group
  16. bark — to shout
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. club — for golf
  21. fine — high quality
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. cue — for pool

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