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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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 — to come from
  2. track — a song
  3. cue — for pool
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — a signal
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pitch — completely
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cue — a hint
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  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