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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hand — help
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rule — a law
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rule — government
  17. bound — certain
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. scale — in music
  24. bound — tied together

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