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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pop — to visit
  6. net — for catching
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. branch — a division
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. net — in sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pop — music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. net — after costs
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitcher — a jug

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