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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. scale — in music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cue — for pool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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