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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stock — goods
  5. firm — decided
  6. stock — shares
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. race — a contest
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. race — humankind

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