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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 124 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. spell — magic
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cue — for pool
  10. scale — in music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rest — a break
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stem — to come from
  19. spell — letters
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. scale — size or range

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