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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rule — a law
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rule — government
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chip — in a computer

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