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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bank — for money
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fine — high quality
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fine — all right
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. bank — of a river
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. scale — in music
  19. bank — for money
  20. cue — a hint
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ground — crushed
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cue — a signal

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