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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. track — a path
  18. cue — for pool
  19. swing — in golf
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. swing — music

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