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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. net — for catching
  9. stem — to come from
  10. land — a country
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bore — to tire
  15. band — a music group
  16. rock — a stone
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. band — a ring
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rock — music
  22. cue — for pool
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. foot — a measure

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