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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cue — a hint
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — a trace
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cell — a phone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cell — in biology
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stem — to come from
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cell — in a prison

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