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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. date — the fruit
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. land — ground
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. land — a country
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. land — to come down
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pound — a weight
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stem — of a plant

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