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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. land — a country
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. tube — a container
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. tube — the underground
  12. drill — army training
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. land — ground
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. drill — the tool
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pitch — a sports field

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