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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. file — a tool
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. file — a document
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stem — to come from
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. file — a line of people
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. dip — to sink

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