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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. spring — the season
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cue — a hint
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spring — a coil
  8. board — a committee
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spring — of water
  11. cue — for pool
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bass — low music
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bass — the instrument

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