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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mug — a cup
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. cue — a hint
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — rain
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mug — a face
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mine — for digging
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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