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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cue — a signal
  3. court — of law
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. net — for catching
  6. court — of a king
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stem — to come from
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. net — in sport
  11. court — for sport
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. game — a match
  17. cue — for pool
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. hand — help
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. cue — a hint

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