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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. march — the month
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. kick — in football
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cue — a hint
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — for pool
  18. tube — a container
  19. bark — to shout
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. march — music
  24. cue — a signal

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