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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. field — a subject
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. firm — steady
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rest — a break
  10. field — for sport
  11. firm — decided
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. chair — a leader
  17. band — a music group
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. field — farmland
  20. suit — clothes
  21. band — a ring
  22. rest — what's left
  23. firm — a company
  24. cue — for pool

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