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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. club — for golf
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rock — music
  7. track — a path
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. track — to keep track
  12. race — a contest
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. track — a song
  15. race — humankind
  16. tube — a container
  17. club — a group
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rock — a stone
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lean — thin

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