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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 116 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. suit — clothes
  5. season — in sport
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. rest — a break
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rest — what's left
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. season — of the year
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. land — ground

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