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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 124 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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. ball — a dance
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. track — a song
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cue — a signal
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — a path
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. charge — a price
  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