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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. firm — a company
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. field — for sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. chip — to eat
  13. firm — decided
  14. field — a subject
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. perch — the fish
  18. field — farmland
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. object — to protest
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. firm — steady
  24. stem — a stem cell

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