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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mark — a trace
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. swing — music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hand — help
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rush — hurry
  19. scale — in music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. ball — a dance
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mark — a grade
  24. ball — a great time

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