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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pit — a hole
  7. spell — magic
  8. pound — a weight
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. game — a match
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. suit — to fit
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. spell — letters
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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