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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. tube — the underground
  3. craft — a skill
  4. shower — to wash
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tube — a container
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cue — a signal
  15. craft — boats
  16. cue — for pool
  17. shower — rain
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cue — a hint
  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