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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chair — a leader
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ball — a dance
  6. content — the amount
  7. cue — for pool
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stem — to come from
  12. net — after costs
  13. cue — a signal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. content — happy
  17. craft — boats
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cue — a hint
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ball — a great time
  22. net — for catching
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. net — in sport

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