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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fork — in a road
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. track — a path
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. board — a committee
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stem — to come from
  16. board — to get on
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. kick — in football
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. track — a song
  24. mine — an explosive

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