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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stem — to come from
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pop — soda
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pop — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rash — a series
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. chip — to eat

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