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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cue — a hint
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. field — a subject
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. field — for sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stem — to come from
  16. prune — to trim
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. field — farmland
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stand — to bear

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