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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mug — a cup
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pitch — completely
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. clip — a video
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stock — shares

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