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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cue — a signal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. can — a tin
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cell — a phone
  13. stock — goods
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cue — for pool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. can — a tin
  23. stem — to come from
  24. nail — on a finger

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