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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stem — to come from
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. board — to get on
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. drill — a practice
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. drill — army training
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chip — to eat
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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