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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bound — tied together
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wind — moving air
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. march — the month
  10. cue — a hint
  11. tear — to rip
  12. march — the month
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stem — to come from
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bound — certain
  19. tear — from crying
  20. march — music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stem — of a plant

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