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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cue — for pool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — a signal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pass — a permit

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