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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 120 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — to come from
  4. staff — a stick
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — in control
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. saw — the tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. capital — a city
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. charge — a price
  21. ball — a dance
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. capital — money

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