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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chip — for betting
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kid — to tease
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. chip — to eat
  13. kid — child
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cue — for pool
  16. capital — money
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cue — a hint
  22. capital — a city
  23. pound — a weight
  24. deal — an agreement

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