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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. game — a match
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ground — a position
  7. face — to confront
  8. stem — to come from
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — a hint
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cue — a signal

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