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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. track — a song
  3. stem — to come from
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cue — a hint
  6. kid — child
  7. track — a path
  8. bass — low music
  9. board — to get on
  10. cue — for pool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. board — a committee
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cap — of ice

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