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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cell — in biology
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. firm — a company
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cue — a signal
  10. firm — steady
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. race — a contest
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. firm — decided
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ball — a great time
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — humankind
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. cell — in a prison

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