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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. content — happy
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. present — the time now
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cue — a signal
  11. present — there
  12. cue — for pool
  13. present — a gift
  14. chip — for betting
  15. content — the amount
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cue — a hint
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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