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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 help me carry this box?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cue — for pool
  5. track — a path
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. march — the month
  11. track — a song
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cue — a hint
  14. march — the month
  15. can — a tin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. march — music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. can — a tin
  24. stem — to come from

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