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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bulb — for light
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cue — a hint
  8. row — a line
  9. hand — help
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cue — a signal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hand — in cards

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