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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. stem — to come from
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. capital — money
  6. kick — in football
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. deal — to handle
  14. band — a music group
  15. game — wild animals
  16. branch — a division
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. band — a ring
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. game — a match
  22. capital — a city
  23. band — a rubber band
  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